Fated To the Alpha by Jessica Hall
Chapter 274: Marabella POV
When we returned home, Kyan was in a strange mood, and I knew it was because Eziah was in the City. Walking into the manor, I could hear the vacuum going upstairs, and Jonah sighed, taking the groceries Kyan asked us to grab on the way home to the kitchen. Carrying the duffle bag, I start walking up the steps to the second floor.
Lucas’s bedroom door was open, and I could see an extension cord running from the power outlet in the hall leading into Lucas’s old room. Taking the duffle bag to the bedroom.
I placed it on the bed, knowing there was no point and putting anything away because Kyan would just wait for us to sleep before undoing everything I folded or hung up, only to redo it or hang them a particular way. So I decided to wait for him and help him.
Hearing the vacuum cut out, I wander back down the hall and over to Lucas’s room. Stopping at the door, I find Kyan cleaning the room. The bed was freshly made, and I could smell the furniture polish.
The old dusty cs had been replaced, yet the old furniture that Kyan despised so much was polished to look brand new. All of Lucas’ knick-knacks are set back in their original places. And Kyan was now cleaning the window tracks with a microfiber cloth.
Even while cleaning, he was in pristine condition, with not a speck of dust on him, yet he looked different with his white b*tton-up shirt, the sleeves rolled to his elbows.
So odd seeing a man of his status doing ordinary, mundane tasks like cleaning window tracks. I knocked, not wanting to enter Lucas’s room while he was upset. I had been in here plenty of times when Lucas was alive.
Lucas was very proud of his baseball card collection and liked to show me them and his comic books that sat in their plastic wrappers, never opened. It made me wonder which was Dominic’s room. I knew it wasn’t on this floor, and there were two more floors.
Maybe I could ask Kaif later if he comes forward. If not, I might have to explore a bit. Kyan never minded when I looked around, although I never went to the upper floors unless I went to the Seance room. Kyan looks over his shoulder at me and pulls his latex gloves from his hands.
He drops them in his little rubbish bin. “You’re home, finally. I was becoming bored. Where is Jonah?” he asks, walking over to me. He grips the front of my shirt, pulling me into the room and kissing me briefly.
“Are you alright?” I ask him worriedly. The emotions through our bond were all over the place. “Fine, where is Jonah?” he asks, glancing over my shoulder.
“Putting groceries away,” I tell him, and he nods before rushing around the room, picking up his cleaning supplies, and I grab the vacuum, unplugging the cord and packing it back in the storage closet in the hall. Kyan steps out of the room behind me before I see him lock the door with a key before pocketing it.
“Did you have fun with your brother?” he asks though I know he was only asking not to be rude. He didn’t care to hear about what Eziah and I got up to.
“Yes, it was good to see him,” I tell him, and he nods while I follow him downstairs to the kitchen. Jonah was still putting groceries away, removing everything from the packets and placing them in their designated containers.
It was bizarre seeing how close they were, they were best friends, more like brothers, yet Jonah never complains about how set in his ways Kyan is and did things Kyan’s way despite it being time-consuming.
Seeing him like that made me wonder if it would come naturally to me after a few years. Jonah didn’t even seem to think about it. Whereas I would have just stuffed the boxes in the pantry, Jonah took the time to remove them from their packaging and place everything in their designated, labeled containers.
“I broke the pasta jar lid. You didn’t have a spare lid, but I found this one,” Jonah tells him.
Kyan visibly tensed, and I knew his OCD was running rampant today.
“I never labeled it. Figured I would leave the label for you,” Jonah tells him, which surprised me further that Jonah knew that would be what Kyan would worry about.
Kyan sighs and his shoulders relax as he takes the labeling device from the drawer and grabs the tall jar from the counter. Jonah gives me a look of worry as he watches Kyan try to get the label on straight.
Kyan’s hands shook in frustration, and I chewed my lip, wanting to help him but not sure if I should touch him.
“Kyan? Are you alright?” Jonah asks, but Kyan appears to be absorbed in the task as he mutters under his breath. Jonah, however, nods toward him, and I move, coming up behind Kyan and wrapping my arms around his waist. He stiffens before relaxing and lets out a breath. His hands stop shaking, and he finally gets the label on straight.
I rest my cheek against his back and look at Jonah. His worry for our mate was clearly etched into his face, and I think Eziah seemed to trigger something in him because he was okay before finding out I was with Eziah. It made me realize I made the right decision about not telling him about Dominic.
I couldn’t bear to see him get his hopes up, only for them to crash down on him if I am wrong, no matter how strongly I believe I am right.
The night went by quickly. We did little, just sat around watching TV while Kyan read over work documents, and it took hours for Jonah to convince him to come to bed. However, I finally noticed the bed was different once back in the room. How I missed it earlier was beyond me.
I had been in here multiple times during the night, and not once did I realize the bed was bigger, the same bed, but bigger. Only noticing when I suddenly wasn’t squashed between them both.
Kyan fell asleep instantly, while Jonah actually had trouble sleeping. He tossed and turned all night but eventually fell asleep, much to my relief. I wanted to see if I could find Dominic’s room and knew Kyan would ask questions if he caught me looking around. I knew he wouldn’t mind, but I didn’t want to upset him with how he was earlier.
Climbing out of bed, the floorboards were cold under my b**e feet. I could see the perspiration from my footprints on them. I thought their body heat made me feel like I was sweltering pressed between them, yet I felt hot. Closing the door behind me as I leave the room, I walk down the dimly lit hallway to the thermostat to check the heating. It was stifling in here.
Checking the screen, it was 21 degrees, so I must be coming down with something. Shaking my head, I look up to the third level before quietly climbing the stairs. A shudder ran through me, and goosebumps rose on my arms as I felt unease roll over me when I reached the top.
Staring at the door to the seance room, I felt a strange urge to head down to the left of the corridor. I stop at the front of a set of double doors, twisting the handle; I find it locked.
Yet something was telling me this was a room that belonged to Dominic and his wife. Chewing my lip, I knew I would have to get Kyan’s keys, which I saw Kyan place on the key hook by the front door before bed.
I was about to turn around and go grab them when I felt a warm n***d chest press against my back. My heartbeat thumped in my chest as his breath moved across my mark. Sparks burst across my skin as his scent wafted to me invitingly, making my mouth water.
“Just me, love.” Kaif’s voice whispers below my ear, and I relax when his hand moves in front of me to place a key in the door. He unlocks it before pocketing the keys, twisting the handle, and opening it.
I let out a breath and peer up over my shoulder to see Kyan yet Kaif’s demonic eyes peering back at me. He pecks my lips gently and growls softly, the noise turning to a purr. When he pulls his lips from mine, he buries his face in my neck, inhaling my scent.
Kaif’s arm wraps around my waist, pulling me flush against him, and a strangled noise leaves his lips as he lets me go. I turn to face him only to see him dig the keys out of Kyan’s shorts pocket again. He fumbles with the fob key on them and presses it.
“Be quick. I won’t be able to stay in this form long; I need to give Kyan back control,” Kaif murmurs when he growls, pressing the fob key again, but more viciously.
Suddenly I hear the gr0@n and rattle of roller shutters, making me peek into the dark room that belonged to Dominic to see roller shutters block out the night sky.
Kaif Nudges me into the room, and much like Kyan’s room, this room was spotless despite being locked up, nothing out of place, and not a speck of dust, making me wonder if Kyan cleaned it regularly. The room looked untouched, just like Lucas’s.
Photos of Kyan when he was little hung on the walls. Frames were also on the dresser, even some of his artwork Dominic had framed. It was clear he was a proud father. Moving toward the large closet, his clothes were set out like Kyan’s. Everything had a particular spot as I rummaged through, looking for anything that may resemble a grimoire.
Finding nothing, I walk out to find Kaif breathing heavily as his hand clutches the door frame. I moved toward the dresser beside the bed and opened the drawers. Sweat formed beads on the back of my neck. The temperature in the room rose dramatically.
I wiped a hand across my forehead and pinched my nightie’s front, which was becoming drenched in my sweat.
At that very second, I realized why I was so hot, why Kaif was struggling with control and glanced over at him nervously. My entire body was beginning to tingle, and I sniffed the air. I was going into heat!
Kyan’s scent was potent and enticing, and I had to shake the urge to go to him away as I pulled the drawers out and searched them. Nothing. Moving around to the other side of the bed, I pull the bottom drawer out and find socks.
Closing it, I move to the next, also nothing. Opening the top, my heart raced quicker when I spotted a brown leather-covered book. A leather strap was buckled around it, and it had a strange marking that was partially obscured by the buckle. Pulling the book out, a ripple ran over me when my fingers touched it, and I knew I had found what I was looking for.
Grabbing the book, I look around the room and grab a shirt wrapping the old book in it before rushing past Kaif. Careful not to touch him, or I risked attacking him. I s*****w when I feel how s**k my t**s are becoming. Racing back to the room my vision blurred slightly, I stuff the book in one of my oversized handbags and place it under the bed.
Pain twisted in my belly and my vision blurred further. Getting up, I was about to run to the bathroom to try to have a cold shower when hands grabbed me from behind.
Kaif purrs and pushes me toward the bed, where I could see Jonah moving around like he was uncomfortable. Kaif pushes me onto the bed, climbing on it behind me and flipping me onto my back.
The moment he gave control back to Kyan and my skin touched his, I was done for. Jonah rolls into me, and sparks rush everywhere, and I m**n at the feel of their skin on mine.
Kyan’s eyes opened, and he blinked, confused before he sniffed the air, and his eyes flickered. He looks to the windows to see the roller shutters locked in place and Kyan growls before his lips crash down on mine hungrily.
His tongue moves between my lips, his tongue brushing against mine, and I hear Jonah gr0@n beside me as he rolls into me.
Kyan pulls his lips from mine and stares at Jonah when Jonah leans over, kissing me with the same desire Kyan had, his hand grabbing my b**t through the thin nightie when I heard fabric tearing as Kyan ripped my nightdress and his lips wrapped around my n***e. At the same time, Jonah fondled the other with his hand making me m**n against Jonah’s lips.